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European database for ultraviolet radiation climatology and evaluation

Objective

Problems to be solved
Based on measurements of spectral UV irradiance at 35 different locations, we propose to develop a European UV climatology. By the close of this project, some stations will have spectral UV measurements spanning more than ten years. A major aim of this proposal is to analyse long-term data sets for evidence of trends in UV radiation, which may now become visible for the first time. The UV climatology and its analysis will be achieved by a combination of radiation measurements, ancillary data, an appropriate QA/QC programme and radiative transfer modelling. The European UV database, generated in the former SUVDAMA and URRAPPF projects, will be developed further and exploited by this project. The deliverables of this project are relevant to research in atmospheric chemistry, biology, human health and material effects. User-friendly access to the database for these scientific communities will be established.
Objectives to describe a climatology for ultraviolet (UV) radiation in Europe and find evidence for UV trends in Europe
· to extend the European UV database to host more stations and longer time series
· to maintain the European UV database and make its structure more user-friendly
· to provide tools for the easy use of the data in the database and simplified submission of data
· to develop and apply methods for quality assurance at the database
· to develop methods for quality control at the sites and apply them in quality audits
· to develop and apply radiative transfer models for the interpretation of the measurements.
Expected impacts
The needs of the end-users with respect to data products that may be obtained from the database will be identified and addressed. A statistical analysis will be made of the spectral data submitted to the European database. With the help of one-dimensional radiative transfer models, climatological maps of the ultraviolet radiation in Europe will be generated. Statistical analyses will be made to show in which wavelength range a trend of UV radiation will first become visible. The number of years required to detect a trend in UV irradiance will be determined based on the uncertainty and variability of measurements at different sites. The dataset will be searched in order to find evidence for such a trend and model studies will be employed to explain the reasons for it. Data from 35 European stations will be submitted to the database in a uniform format. A new computing unit will be used to extend the European UV database to host data for longer periods of time and for new stations. Tools will be developed for efficient submission, searching and extraction of data. Methods will be developed and applied to mark the data in the database with flags that inform about possible instrumental or atmospheric anomalies during the measurement time.

Fields of science

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Topic(s)

Call for proposal

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Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

UNIVERSITAET HANNOVER
EU contribution
No data
Address
Errenhäuser Straße 2
30419 HANNOVER
Germany

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Participants (16)

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Last update: 28 July 2005

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Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/EVK2-CT-1999-00028

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